Akame ga Kill! - An Unpredicted Reawakening
by gerkhanbmw
Summary: After a mysterious young man revives and reunites a multitude of remarkable figures from the Revolutionary War all to a normal life long after, he slowly begins to suspect of a hidden plot commenced following the disappearance of the former Prime Minister's corpse. (Criticism, requests & suggestions are accepted.)
1. Prologue

_It was the third day following the end of the Great War._

 _The Empire was still undergoing a rebirth into a thriving republic. The city had thrown a festival that night, with fireworks, lanterns, and everything that could keep one's spirits held up high. It would seem that all was well._

 _However, all was not completely normal. Some of the residents questioned the unannounced disappearance of the bludgeoned carcass of the former prime minister, Honest, set to be displayed at the town square as a supposed victory medallion to the public. If he were to have been reborn, his whereabouts and destination had remained unknown._

 _Even more strangely, the day that followed, notorious individuals from the war thought to have been dead were sighted, alive and well: the Imperial Army commanders who were reborn, however, didn't appear as their old selves anymore; it appeared as though a change of heart had taken shape upon them. Even the former Jaeger general Esdeath had abandoned her cold personality. The only reason they had for their sudden reappearances, when questioned, were of a cloaked figure._

 _Although it would seem that in the abundance of cloaked men and women among the higher quarter...they would perhaps never be found._

* * *

Four years passed since then. And during those four years, I remained hidden in plain sight. Sure, I was recognised by the many who supposedly "reappeared" out of a common conspiracy, but they were the only ones so far who actually knew who I was. A tall young man with a fair white complexion, spiked, black shoulder-length hair and sharp, narrow aegean eyes; an outfit consisting of a perfectly ironed jet black suit complimented by a black belt outlined in a gray "synthetic" fabric, all concealed by a black cloak. That was me, a young adult man hailing from the downtown district of the now-reformed Empire, now merely one hidden among the shadows.

These last four years I kept hidden, I worked as a blacksmith alongside one of those who were resurrected, a young war hero named Tatsumi. This was a job I was quite familiar with, since in my days under the command of General Esdeath (yes, I was an Imperial Knight for some time), whenever I wasn't dispatched, I was the one in charge of crafting, cleaning and repairing weapons. Up to this point, I still didn't know why I was so devoted to this job; then again, I never even found out why I tapped into metallurgy starting from the middle of my childhood, up until the point where I was recruited into the first generation of the Imperial Army division known as the "Jägers"; I'm sure that's a means of saying "hunters", but while I have so little of a clue, it may as well be a unanimous statement that it was modernised from some ancient dialect lost over time. Tatsumi, on the other hand, originally used this job as a cover while he was in Night Raid, a group in the Revolutionary Army consisting of perhaps the deadliest assassins in history. Whenever he worked, I always saw a happy grin appearing on his face, almost as though his dedication to this job was unparalleled. (Sometimes, it made me quite jealous that a young man his age could get so into something that paid so little compared to most other jobs.)

Today, however, was different. As I rearranged the place before I took my leave for the day, I saw Tatsumi sitting at the stairs leading to the attic (which, if anyone reading this was wondering, is filled with nothing but scrap and tools), wearing a distraught look as he just...stared at the wooden floor. Feeling that he was hiding something these last few years, I came up to him and, like an older brother, rested my right arm on his shoulder in an attempt to console him.

"Tatsumi...is there anything that I can help you with?" I asked.

"You told me you would...didn't you?" he asked in response.

"I didn't tell you when I would be able to take care of that...but save the thought, Tatsumi. I assure you, they'll be here soon."

Tears streamed down his cheeks. Whether or not they were for joy or not, I couldn't tell, but tonight I wanted to make sure they were the former. I've had to live a life of darkness and regret and from what I've seen him go through, I didn't want Tatsumi to go down the same path. With a faux grin that hid the emotional scars of an almost emotionless man, I gave him a pat before getting up to leave the old shop.

"Wait," he called to me, taking out a long rifle assorted with multiple specialised components, one of which looked somewhat like a sword's edge, carried in a long storage case. "Take this with you, please." (I heard a slight sense of concern in his voice, which meant this had to mean something to him...or at least of someone he knew.)

The rifle could be easily recognisable by a war veteran. This was the Teigu known as _Roman Artillery: Pumpkin_ , a rifle that shot concentrated beams of spirit energy. The power of said projectiles was based on the level of danger the user was in. As it was mainly used for sniping purposes, a scope was a mandantory attachment, but under special circumstances, its most recent user carried a pink optic that could telescope (though not through physical means) to aid her in her missions. As it was previously destroyed by prolonged overheating during a last stand, Tatsumi gathered every one of the parts of the weapon and reforged it exactly as it was. (Again, with the jealousy!) Though I was initially skeptical as to why he'd want me to take that along (already, I had a Teigu of my own), I knew that he was talking about a certain girl who, although quite stern, was his short-lived love interest during the Revolution. Hence, I accepted his offer, taking Pumpkin along, and headed out the door, making a left towards the outskirts of town.

A promise I had once forgotten was to be fulfilled.

And now I wanted to make sure of it.


	2. A little extra: Gideon

Note: this "chapter" only lists the basic information of Gideon, the newly introduced protagonist of this fanfiction, and nothing more.

* * *

Name: Gideon

Age: 30

Gender: Male

Height: 183 cm (6')

Eye Colour: Dark blue, "aegean"

Hair Colour: Black

Blood Type: A

['-']

Status: (to be revealed)

Faction: Night Raid

Primary Teigu: _Titan's Armour: Magnum Opus_

Secondary Teigu: _Elemental Cutting Edge: Jukutatsu_

Shingu: Kiriichimonji

* * *

 **Appearance (Gideon)**

Gideon is a tall man with sharp, somewhat thin dark blue eyes (dark to the point that one could mistake his eye colour for black), a narrow scar running parallel under his left eye, and medium-length black hair with his bangs combed to the right, opposite a left hairline. His typical outfit consists of a full black suit, equipped with a brown leather diagonal strap running right to left that holds two katana sheathes to his back (using two, one small and one extended, magnetic clips) and tied with a black belt outlined by a gray fabric that glows cyan whenever he dons Magnum Opus. His suit jacket internally hides a curved knife sheath and gun holster, placed on opposite sides of the jacket.

His later appearance is less pristine. While he retains the synthetic belt and his two katana sheathes in his appearance, they are now placed at his hips above the holsters of his other weapons, also placed in said region. Instead of a suit, he wears more casual outerwear, consisting of a distressed black leather jacket worn over a charcoal t-shirt, the latter tucked into dark blue jeans worn over all-black sneakers; he no longer utilises the diagonal strap. His hair is now free-flowing, with several small bangs separate from one another overlapping his eyes. From prior injuries, his right arm and hand are now robotic from heavy operations.

He is shown with a medium-muscular build, having had trained himself in multiple combat practices. Strangely, though, his actual strength, speed and durability, even without donning Magnum Opus, differ greatly from his appearance. On the centre of his chest is the core of said Teigu, shown as a blue, circular orb surrounded by a medium-sized layer of an unknown metal.

When equipped, his Teigu alters his external appearance greatly. Magnum Opus, when active, is shown as a black full body armour that appears to some as almost robotic. It is basic, but streamlined in the appearance of his build, with the armour covering all but his face, the rest of his head being covered in a mask-like helmet. In battle form, the back of the suit is flared upwards along separate panels along the centre (although the artilery magnet is unaffected) and his face is protected by a horizontally split battle mask, divided where the bottom of his nose would be; a thin, red-coloured visor is visible on the top half, while a linear impression splits the bottom; the former half can be deployed separately from or simultaneously with the latter, depending on the situation. Post-transformation, the armour is equipped with a set of two katana sheaths, placed parallel to each other on his back (this is how he usually placed the sheathes on his back using the diagonal strap), the sidearm holster on his right hip & the knife sheath on his left.

* * *

 **Appearance (Arsenal)**

The swords used by Gideon take the form of a pair of metallic katanas. While both initially appear to be similar to one another, when actively wielded during combat, Jukutatsu's blade turns to a black colour, similar to that of Magnum Opus, while Kiriichimonji's blade does not; likewise, Jukutatsu can emits an aura matching its offensive element when used.

After a later conflict, the swords are converted to crescent arm blades that can be launched and retracted through use of a grappling hook on each arm. When not in use, they contract and are quickly stored in the gauntlet pieces. Both blades retain their original attributes.

The first pistol Gideon carries takes its basic design from a Tokarev TT-30 pistol with some attributes from select modern compact pistols, mainly the Heckler & Koch P30 for the tactical rail & design indentations, the Heckler & Koch P2000 for the slide shape, and the Walther P99 for the grip shape. Gideon's gun also uses an adjustable scope attached above the slide, barely bordering the ejection rail. Following certain events, he uses a pistol that resembles a Thompson/Center Contender, a break-action, single-shot pistol built to somewhat resemble and function similarly to a hunting rifle, although the wooden grips are black.

His knife takes the form of a karambit, one with a curved, double-edged blade paired with an equally curved black hilt that utilises a circular hole at its base slightly larger than his index finger for sake of versatility. The blade itself is dark gray, and its edges reflect and separate visible light into its original colouring.


	3. Chapter 1: Rebirth, Part I

**KILL THE REBIRTH, PART I**

* * *

That night I ventured out deep into the Eastern woods into a sakura forest, cloak on, of course. A beautiful scenery hid emotional scars, some of which I could recall were those of my own, which I decided not to share with anyone. At one point I encountered a small cairn in front of a dormant, secluded sakura that sat by a small creek. Placed beside the stones was an image of a young, beautiful girl discreetly recognised in a history long burned away in the books as one of the deadliest assassins in the Great War. She had neon pink ankle-length hair, tied in twin tails, and big, sharp eyes of the same colour; her outfit, a collar piece fitted over a maiden dress worn with lace-strapped boots and black leggings, followed the theme, albeit with a lighter hue. The tree itself was wrapped with a pink ribbon, with white text reading, "I love you, too.", which, to be fair, had deeply touched me; it was as if someone wanted to seal their relationship, even after all these years. Either way, though, I had a feeling this girl was the one he mentioned.

To that thought, as I stood tall and raised my right palm in a way that would look as if I was dividing my face into two, a perfectly white, circular glyph of unknown power then surrounded my feet, a strange sound emanating from below; my eyes slowly closed and I began a three-worded incantation, one of many sealed within me by the Teigu itself.

"Great tree..."

My eyes shot open and stared directly at its centre.

"...bloom."

Two orbs of white light then started to slowly revolve and rise around the dormant plant; slowly, the areas of which had been passed upon were now regenerating the tree back to who it was, the pink petals of every blossom blooming and falling again as it once had; soon enough, the cherry blossom tree was almost completely revitalised when out of nowhere, a silhouette of the girl leaped from the ground in front of the tree at what would seem like Mach 5, launching the stones in varying directions, though this left me unfazed; as the spell concluded, the girl landed headfirst into the soil where she was once laid to rest upon.

"Would somebody _please_ help me out of here?!" came a muffled cry.

Though it was slightly comical to me, I was quick to grab her by the legs and yank her out of the soil. Once again, however, she became a human rocket and launched into the air (again) before, as I attempted to catch her, she unexpectedly fell into my arms. She turned to look at me...and within the length of a lightning strike on a stormy night, her innocent look turned to an infuriated expression as she jumped out of my arms and onto the empty soil.

"Wh-who are you?!" Mine shrieked, jumping out of my arms and taking a hostile position, although she lacked a weapon. "And how do you know my name?!"

"I'm the landlord," I joked, "rent's overdue."

"N-not funny!" she howled, her breath tensing. "Actually tell me how you know me, you—"

"We both are well acquainted with a certain individual," I said, now with a serious tone.

"Wh-what are you talking about?!" She backed away, wide-eyed.

"Correction: who."

* * *

" **MIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIINE!** "

The cry of a young man of average height, who had green eyes and brown medium-length hair swept up at the tips in a cowlick, was one that could be heard from Heaven and back. He wore a white high collar jacket over a lightly tanned sweater vest and black collared shirt, paired with casual blue jeans and dark brown combat boots. His cheeks streamed with tears as he tightly embraced a dead Mine, her head now rested on his left shoulder. This was Tatsumi, a teenage boy turned assassin, an adolescent scarred by a multitude of tragedies; this was his most recent one at the time.

They had stopped by a rivulet amidst a gallery of cherry blossom trees minutes earlier, where she, in her final moments, had confessed her love for him before they shared a kiss. And now, just after he had finally knew, she was there, in his arms, in a deep slumber. One to which she would not awaken, to or not to her will. As he continued cradling her, a metallic, almost mechanical-feeling hand laid upon his shoulder.

"My deepest apologies for your tragedy."

The teenager looked up towards, his cheeks still tear-stained.

"Who...are you?" he asked.

"I suppose Najenda never really gave much of a word about me to you, Tatsumi."

"You know her?"

"We were allies in the elite branch of the Imperial Army years before the civil war began. Although she defected earlier than I did, we shared a similar cause and were the ones who founded the assassins unit Night Raid; I omitted my identity and presence for the sake of our primary objective of eliminating the current Prime Minister. I continued my contributions to Night Raid via recon since then, remaining hidden among this group under the guise of the 'Silent Messenger' on every assassination job we pulled, including those of which your band were involved."

"So...you know everything?"

"Unfortunately, yes. I suppose I know...too much of our group."

The man then looked solemnly towards Mine, then got on his left knee by the couple and felt his hand against her face. He shed a tear and, looking away, shut his eyes.

"Never thought I'd have to come to see her like this."

Tatsumi only held her tighter, forcing his eyes, now overflowing with tears, shut. He was notably taking her death more harder than the Silent Messenger was. It was only moments after when the latter placed the same metallic hand on his shoulder.

"Much of Night Raid has seen much potential in you since the night you encountered Akame and Leone at the shed, inherited by Aria's family; I share a similar thought with them. These last few weeks, you've proven much of yourself...and at such a young age."

Tatsumi only nodded.

"Tell you what, when this war's over, if we were to reign victorious, I'll be sure to hold the promise to bring back all casualties of Night Raid."

"You mean...her, too?" he asked, somewhat optimistic. He then looked towards the empty soil below him, hopeless once again. "But there's no Imperial Arm in the world that can do that."

"You're looking at the wielder of said Teigu, right here, right now."

The man was surrounded head to toe by a metallic black full body armour, geometrically shaped and streamlined to emulate his moderately muscular physique, his head being overlapped by a sleek helm that exposed only his face. On the center of his breastplate was a core emanating a cyan aura of unknown origin or power surrounded by a circular layer of a metal-like substance; even with the defensive layer appearing minimal, one could sense that it would always remain untouched by any who opposed its wielder. Two katana sheathes rested on his back, overlapping each other, while one addressed to a strangely engineered knife was visible on his right hip, and a pistol holster was strapped to his left.

"I ask of you..." He paused, an I-mean-business expression taking over his countenance. "...no, I order you: win this war. For the sake of the Empire and its future to come."

The Messenger extended his hand, to which Tatsumi grabbed it seconds after to a determined grin.

"I will."

His expression relaxed slightly and after slowly releasing her from his embrace, Tatsumi laid Mine's head onto a nearby bed of flora.

"What's your name, by the way?" he asked.

I grinned.

"Gideon."

* * *

She was still beyond pissed. Her look could strike down just about anyone who dared to stand in her way.

Not me.

"This _still_ doesn't explain why you're here!" she shouted. "And why am _I_ here?!"

"For one who is overwhelmingly cold to select individuals," I spoke, retaining a collectively calm personality, "you fail to notice even the most minute of details that lie where your back faces."

Mine turned around...and, very briefly, shrieked, jumping once again into my quickly extended arms. Her eyes had widened in shock at what she was looking at; like I had seen, she was staring right at a small shrine dedicated to her, stones, ribbon and whatnot. Though a name was not engraved on any of them, it was already clear to her that she had been buried here minutes after the initial meeting between Tatsumi and I.

"H-how?!" she shouted, now turning towards me.

"What's the last thing you remember saying to Tatsumi that evening?"

"I..." She took several deep breaths before she continued. "...I told Tatsumi I loved him."

"There's your answer." I winked with a small smirk.

Mine then sprang out of my arms—once again. At this point, she was beginning to reach her breaking point.

"Seriously, tell me what's going on here and why you brought me back to life of all things!" she shouted, voice cracking; her breaths that followed were heavy huffs of air.

"Perhaps you should have recollected what I've spoken of moments ago. Now come along, we're going for a walk."

I turned left, redid my cloak and started back on the small path leading away from the small grave; an eased, albeit slightly infuriated Mine followed after.

* * *

At this point, five minutes following our awkward introductions, we had departed well away from the field of sakura trees and entered a broadleaf forest used as a terrestrial battlefield many times before. Serrations of many blades—katars, rapiers, clawed gauntlets, any and every blade there was—were carried as scars by the elderly plants, cut in no particular order. Each of the trees were misaligned, planted wherever there was room, or in some cases, somewhere to siphon any nutrients from those that have long departed; the only absence of trees being on a long trail cutting between the forest, that of which both of us were strolling on right now. The open environment that came before said trail could provide an excellent point of ambush for even the least experienced of everyday bands of thieves; but these days, there lacked any, thanks to an iron-armed vigilante and her miniature canine companion. The night was only ever slightly changed, with a minimal onset of clouds slowly sliding in to cloak the crescent moon, although in my eyes, it looked to be near raining. We continued our journey back as Mine began speaking to me again.

"So tell me, where's Tatsumi?"

"He's been waiting in the Capital for you, as well as the rest of Night Raid," I told her. "I did promise him a while back that you all would eventually come back for him."

"What about Akame?"

"Her whereabouts are presently unknown."

This girl she asked about, Akame, was one about her age, although a tad older. Her eyes, following her name, were an vibrant red colour, and her knee-length hair was as dark as a clear midnight sky. In her time as a member of Night Raid, she wore a black sleeveless mini-dress over a white collared shirt, which had also lacked sleeves, complimented with a red tie; on her arms were black gloves worn with red forearm gauntlets, while she wore long black socks and black shoes on her legs. The last time anyone ever saw her in the Empire, she donned a black trench coat over said outfit; since then she's kept herself hidden after leaving for parts unknown, which I spoke with Mine about, although she started to display signs of fatigue.

"I...think I should maybe get some sleep somewhere around here," Mine said groggily, yawning mid-sentence.

"Perhaps that's neces—"

I was cut off by a small rustling noise from the right, to which I froze and halted Mine with my arm.

"Reveal yourselves," I said, sensing multiple hidden figures around where we stood.

Almost instantly, a group of seven men wearing turbans over their heads leaped from trees and bushes, taking a heptagonal form that surrounded us both. Their sabres and knives drawn and pointed at us, the latter held underslung, they took to offensive positions. Snickering was heard from one of the thieves, causing the one to his left to shut him up with a tap to his shoulder. (I grinned for humourous reasons at that.) That left me undisturbed, and I swiftly tossed an undone cloak towards him; it landed on his face, blinding him as he dropped his arsenal and with muffled screams in his struggle to escape.

"Here," I said, turning towards Mine and drawing a dormant Pumpkin strapped onto my back, "take this."

I lugged it toward her; Mine had so little time to react before it contacted her upper torso and fell into her arms, in turn causing her to fumble onto her back. When she looked up, she could barely recognise who her temporary venturing partner was. At this point, my Teigu, _Titan's Armour: Magnum Opus_ , a battle armour as dark as the night itself, had completely overlapped my body, leaving little to nothing exposed; the only section that _was_ exposed was that of my face, but within a split second that was blocked out with a battle visor and mask. The back section of my armour, split equivalently into six components shaped like a set of widened Ms, was somewhat flared upward, acting as some form of aerodynamic intercooler. Two different katanas, the elementally influenced Teigu known as _Elemental Cutting Edge: Jukukatsu_ and Kiriichimonji, a Shingu (an artificially engineered weapon that supposedly failed to surpass the power of Teigus) previously used by the Imperial Army known for creating unhealable wounds, dropped from the air (from which I launched them towards) and into my hands, which clasped their handles and sheathed them into the two sheathes strapped to my back; a small fixed blade karambit occasionally wielded with the latter and a small pistol dropped into their holsters, on the right and left hips respectively.

"Who do you think you are?!" one of the thieves exclaimed. Apparently _somebody_ was astonished with my transformation.

I said nothing. The core of Magnum Opus that lay at the centre of my chest emanated a blinding blue light, stunning whoever was in front of us; I took a step back to take an offensive position, extending my arms in opposite directions and aiming my spanned hands forward; from there, I swiftly hunched forward shortly before slamming my right hand into the ground below. The following blast of energy surrounding me disoriented the thieves to the point of incapacitating all of them; their weapons fell to the floor, some bouncing before they eventually settled beside their respective users.

A somewhat shaken Mine stood up, Pumpkin now strapped to her back.

"Okay...what was that?"

I explained to her that those were two of several abilities Magnum Opus had possessed, used in conjunction to one another. Yes, the _Holy Light_ could be more easily summarised, but the _Shockwave_? That was somewhat trickier, since almost none of the effects preceding it are externally shown—the only thing that ever happens is that the core of my Teigu glowed ever so slightly more than it usually does. In a more complicated overview, this charge of energy circulated to my advantageous hand, which was my right; the stance that followed was there to prime the attack, to which I could aim it forward, upward, or towards the ground below (to a short-medium circumference surrounding me); this can either disorient my opposition (the degree of which is determined by how much energy is charged), or (sometimes, in a more comical sense) send them flying away—the last time that was ever used, my opponent was sent flying into a concrete wall, and somehow managed to survived, albeit with a broken jaw and the loss of multiple teeth. The last part caused Mine to unconsciously giggle for a bit before she stifled it with a hand to the mouth.

"So anyway, is it fine if I..." She paused and blushed slightly before continuing. "...piggy-back ride you?"

I was somewhat startled with hearing that, but smiled at the quick realisation that she just wanted to get the rest she asked for earlier. Although this greatly contrasted her previous personality.

"Yes," I said calmly, obtaining my cloak once again, "you may."

* * *

By the time I returned to the shack—Tatsumi made that place his home for the time being—Mine was still holding onto my shoulders, still in Slumberland with my cloak warming her back. I still felt her soft breathing on my neck, on which her chin was rested, as I quietly treaded down the stairway leading to a small basement, which he remade into a basic bedroom, one with a dresser, bed, nightstand, the works. A recliner was placed next to his bed (in which he currently slept in), and while I initially found it somewhat strange that it was pink in colour, I noticed that the shade of pink was the same as that of Mine's outfit; I then realised he had it purchased for her, anticipating her return.

I gave a small "Psst!", to which Mine awoke, albeit with signs of fatigue; I turned and hunched over in a way that she could climb down onto the recliner; as she did, Mine detached Pumpkin from her back and silently set it beside her, its side resting against one of the recliner's legs.

"Is this alright with you?" I asked her; she nodded.

I found my way to a corner of the room with multiple bed sheets, pillows and blankets I once folded and stacked on top of one another—along with being a blacksmith, I did take a partial interest in knitting, sewing and other fabric and silk works—and took from the latter two groups one of each, both sharing a darker shade of pink than the recliner. Seeing me return, Mine bent forward for me to set the head pillow vertically behind her; she laid back onto said pillow, and I unfolded and draped the fabric blanket over her as she made herself comfortable.

"Thanks," she said with a small smile as she slowly closed her eyes again; I could only smile back before I left once again.

That was one down; not counting a humanoid Teigu, there were still five people I had to resurrect, and another—who had possibly ventured halfway across the world by now—that I had to search for tonight.

* * *

It was not long after that I happened to enter the town square of a small town bordering Shisuikan, called Romari, where the dull end a long spear composed of stone extending three times the average human height was rooted.

Four years ago, a commotion of the town's people took place here on a partially clouded dusk. Four years ago, the head of an assassin, a young girl in her early twenties who had a fondness for lollipops, was placed at its tip, somewhat as a sign of humiliation. (This, I found somewhat insulting to her nature as well; I hadn't since returned there until after the Revolution, where I was grateful for its removal.) Four years ago, the remainder of her body was dissected by Imperial scientists and later disposed of by a dog-like Teigu through means of consumption.

And now, tonight, I was to restore her as she was.

Again, I stood at my optimum height and placed my hand in front of my face in a way that it would seem like I had split it in two; this time, however, I stared down the spear at its centre.

"If you still rest there, please..."

I closed my eyes, my head still remaining as it was.

"...awaken."

I kept my eyes shut for ten seconds; when they were finally opened, before me she stood. A young adult woman of under-average height who had scarlet-coloured hair and eyes, as well as a pale complexion. Her attire was almost like that of a well-recognised vocalist, consisting of a white long sleeve shirt, the collar being tied with a red ribbon under a black vest; a red checkered mini skirt, and black leather below-the-knee boots. Surprisingly, while her original Teigu, a compact cosmetic case allowing its user to change form into any desired living being called _Gaea Foundation_ , wasn't within her possession—it was destroyed after her last assassination attempt—she was sucking on a cherry-flavoured lollipop. (This was only the start of some personality-influenced quirks I would encounter later on in the duration of the night...)

"How did I get here?" That was the first thing she asked me, displaying a face that requested inquiry.

"You were resurrected," I bluntly told her.

"How, exactly?"

It made things easier for me to explain this Teigu was one that was off the books, one that was capable to resurrect the dead. (I would have to go on to explain that to the remainder of Night Raid muuuch later.) After realising that I hadn't introduced myself to Chelsea, I did so formally, yet briefly, to which she giggled somewhat; this left a smile on her face, perhaps as a form of trust.

"So...this Imperial Arm is pretty much a life-saver with infinite power?" Chelsea asked afterwards.

"No," I replied, "like most Teigu, this has its restrictions." This was true, as Magnum Opus has an entire archive of abilities with three trump cards. The problem with that was some of them would deplete a great portion of energy stored in its core, sometimes to the extent of almost-immediate withdrawal; the use of a certain trump card could mean the end of it. The cooldown process that would follow _that_ (if it were to remain active) takes a long time—around two hours, at minimum, which is not enough time, if I were to be "in a pinch".

She nodded in understanding.

"Say, where's Gaea Foundation?"

"Destroyed. But as soon as we're all together again, I'll hop to work on the repairs of whatever Teigus this team has used."

Chelsea raised an eyebrow at that.

"What do you mean by 'we'?"

"Night Raid. I'll discuss it while we're walking." The same cloak I'd been carrying since the start of this mission was fixed between my collarbones as we turned and made our way to a footpath bordered side-by-side with artificially planted trees, trimmed grass and all sorts of foliage.

* * *

Following a similar set of complex explanations to a bespectacled airhead wearing a sleeveless, lilac cheongsam dress, equally coloured arm sleeves, white boots and a black pair of glasses (which she lost upon her reappearance), we followed a set of alleyways to a bridge leading west from the Empire. (I was somewhat baffled by the fact that despite it being in the dark of night, said alleys weren't filled with any gangsters, thieves or anyone of the sort; though I was definitely unsure of how the other two felt.)

This bridge was where someone who posed as a librarian and acted as somewhat of a puppet master, thanks to a set of metallic strings that seemed to have been from an endless origin, was killed by multiple spears impaling his chest. At this time, he had just killed the former minister's son, Syura, but was subsequently warped to somewhere in the middle of nowhere in the sky before he acknowledged his fate. Had he not have died, however, I'd have reckoned (on a somewhat humourous note) that he might have perhaps unsuccessfully flirted with several thousand girls around his age by now, among those being an old friend who possessed multiple disabilities on her right side, hence possessing a small array of makeshift aids to assist her in that case.

"Why are we here?" the bespectacled girl, Sheele, asked.

"I'm sure you did miss out on a certain set of events that occurred to a green-haired boy you two may recognise."

When Chelsea turned to her side, she jumped in the opposing direction and yelped, her recently replaced lollipop still remaining in her mouth. Right beside her appeared a teenager of forest green traits. He wore a black hoodie over what appeared to be a white v-neck outlined in a burnt orange colour. His lower body was concealed by a set of navy blue jeans and red skate shoes. His neck-length hair parted to the left was topped off, literally, by a red pair of goggles; if one were to have seen him, this young man, Lubbock, would have been taken for a flirtatious figure, albeit quite a young one with sides of mischief.

"Man..." he said, stretching, "...what a drag!"

He looked around and noticed the two femme fatales before his gaze came across me.

"Okay, how are you two alive?!" Lubbock exclaimed, backing away slightly. "And who's _this_ guy tagging along with you?!'

Whatever was addresed to Chelsea and Sheele was told again to him. He showed me a nod of understanding...then for reasons unstated, I was basically "bear-hugged" by him, much to their surprise and to my chagrin, although he did thank me for my actions. (I would later regret this act upon a later encounter with a man who the multitude of the Night Raid members would recognise as gay.)

"Now...where's Bulat?" he asked. (Yes, that was the name of aforementioned member...)

* * *

It was minutes after that we encountered the 100-Man Slayer himself at the nearby port. His hair was now as it was originally pictured; unkempt but fitting, no longer in the shape of an arching heart. His outfit however was kept as it was; green armour fitting over a black t-shirt and navy blue jeans. His tough exterior meant he was one to look up to; after all, he was the brute force of the group. Was, anyway, until a former comrade had him poisoned to death in a fight. Explanations, yadda yadda yadda, I'm sure whoever is reading this (if there _is_ anyone reading this) gets the deal. (And yes, he _did_ show his strange affections towards me, to which I shooed off quickly.)

Within a third of an hour later, all of us had traversed into a coliseum that was meant to be set up for the public execution of Tatsumi, in accord to former general Esdeath. No one had dared go directly into the grounds of the coliseum itself at this present time and age; after the Emperor was overthrown and the Empire restored, it was converted to a monument, or if it works better, a museum which displayed replicas of Teigu and Shingu, destroyed or not. Although that purpose was well-served for the people, it was derelict, visually and internally, the latter for a certain fault: the history of the coliseum was omitted to the many, though I do find it better for the younger generations to have forgotten this...tyrannical reign involving incompetent bloodshed.

That wasn't what I had come here for, however. I was here to find someone, or, in this case, _something_. (Is it really that humane for me to have said that?) Red shards, most of which were the size of the smallest shards of glass visible to the human eye, surrounded this place; most of them were laid upon a hexagonal platform that took the centre of the coliseum, the rest were scattered elsewhere. Chelsea got down and picked up one of the shards, clasping it into her hand as she fought back tears.

"Susanoo..." she murmured.

"Your comrade died by Esdeath's hand," I said, "but fought with bravery and valiance until his end."

It was clear that she understood, but was still traumatised, because her grip tightened and she was forcing her eyes shut; I laid my hand on her shoulder so as to warn her not to break the shard—materials of that composition, whatever it was, had a tendency to be brittle. And every shard was required if I was to give him a new life with the now surviving members of Night Raid, as well as a portion of my own life force. I had little conflict with that idea, as Magnum Opus was capable of replenishing the absent amount, although it would take a while to recharge itself before any other action involving it could be done. With another shard now in my hand, I told the others to look the other way of they wished to keep their eyesight as it was, and then asked Chelsea to open her right hand. She did, and as I closed my eyes again, a bright blue aura had encased any and every fragment, including those we held, and very quickly pieced them all as a single circular disc, a small hole pierced in its centre; the cracks that were there at first then disappeared, and instantly after they did, a thunderclap sounded, and from what I heard from the others, there was also a lightning strike.

Before us now stood a humanoid figure, one who had the look of a humble being. His eyes and hair shared a somewhat dark shade of blue, the latter was bothered by a pair of medium-sized horns that bulged out at the sides of the upper portion of his head; his overall complexion was slightly darker than that of most people. He donned a white, sleeveless robe over a foot soldier's black outfit, the former having separate sleeves that were worn from the upper half of his upper arms. Small strips of red battle armour accentuated his appearance at his waist and knees, and his footwear consisted of silver boots with a special string wrapped accordingly around them. This was the sentient Teigu known as _The Speed of Lightning: Susanoo_ , though most called him by the term mentioned last.

Lubbock was the first to get to him; basically, he got Susanoo into a tight embrace; Chelsea followed after, her tears now streaming down her cheeks, for joy and for sadness, more for the former. Sheele, Bulat and I could only stand there and look on with a smile, Sheele's left hand on where her décolletage would be, Bulat having his arms crossed.

"Why am I here?" Susanoo asked, his expression stoic with confusion in his voice.

"There's a party to be held soon," I said, metaphorically. "Tatsumi's been awaiting your return, as well as the rest of everyone here, the only exception being me."

"I see."

"So if we're here," Lubbock spoke, "then where's Mine, Leone and Akame?"

"Thought you'd ask," came a younger sounding voice as two hands grabbed Lubbock, the right hand rubbing his hair and head about in a fist. Chelsea and Susanoo could only turn around and laugh, the latter keeping his own stifled.

This person was in her late 20s, yet she displayed somewhat of an older sister's sort of personality. She had short, blonde hair that brushed over her golden eyes with two long bangs, both attributes contrasted greatly from one another. Her attire was sparse and quite openly expressive; aside from a black two-piece, there was a white, single striped scarf, a black pair of boots and a Teigu taking the form of a loosely worn brown belt. She introduced herself to me as Leone, and through what seemed to be a feline approach, licked my hand. I could only guess that this was merely and after effect from aforementioned Teigu, _The King of Beasts Transformation:_ _Lionelle_. As if tonight hadn't gotten any worse, everyone had engaged me in a bear-hug after she shoved me into her breasts for reasons unknown, perhaps an indication for a lack of ladylike manners.

"Thanks for bringing us all back together," she said with a warm smile; I could only do so much as to return the favour, though it was still an awkward moment.

"We are missing someone, however," I pointed out.

Just as though I had pure luck, Akame showed up behind us. She appeared similar to how she was described before, however, to a more negative degree. As battle scars from the war, mysterious glyphs, perhaps from her Teigu, _One-Cut Killer: Murasame_ , faintly covered some aspects of her body, one of which had found its way to her left cheek. Her outfit now lacked the black trench coat, but there was a detail—several, actually—that shocked everyone, myself included. Dozens of cut wounds had draped her body as well, most notably on her abdominal region, now exposed from said portion of her shirt being torn away. She lacked her forearm gauntlets, her red tie was tattered, her left optical area was wounded, though only with a bruise, and a blood stain ran down from the right side of her mouth. A smile and three steps after she appeared and saw us, her eyes fell shut and she collapsed, Murasame and its sheath falling from the grip of her right hand.

"Akame!" Chelsea interjected.

Lubbock cursed under his breath; everyone followed her as she lifted her slightly from her back. Akame was limp, but still breathing.

"What the hell have you gone through...?" I muttered.

"How is she?" a worried Sheele asked.

"Badly hurt, that's only from a visual reference."

"We should get her to a doctor," Bulat suggested, "and quick!"

"Agreed," Susanoo replied.

"I'm well acquainted with one who's had much experience in his work," I told them as I hoisted Akame into my arms. "He may be a distrusted figure among you all, but he knows what he's doing. Let's hurry!"

* * *

It certainly left somewhat of an internal scar for most of the members of the party to have found out that the "doctor" I spoke of was none other than a man who preferred the alias of Dr. Stylish. One reason for this may have been his previous affiliation with the last generation of the Jägers, another could be from the notoriety of his inhumane human experiments. Either way, this black-haired and blue-eyed man in a lab coat was a figure I found essential in restoring Akame, mostly due to two contributing factors: that he was already reformed and was now a successful man in his profession, and that he was the owner of a special pair of surgical gloves, _The Glourious Hands of God: Perfection_. I most definitely wasn't hesitant to ask him of Akame's health after he checked her vital signs, ran her through a scanner, and placed her in a cot with a mess of medical apparatus.

"It looks as bad as ever," he told me, fixing his somewhat off glasses. "Wherever your friend went, I don't know, but these wounds are quite severe."

"To what degree?"

"Fortunately, not severe enough; she will make a full recovery, but that will take some time. I feel it's best to quarantine her for the time being."

"And that means..." said Lubbock.

"That means she'll have to stay here if she is to heal."

Chelsea was dissatisfied at that thought. Whatever previous experiences she had with him, I believe, were quite unpleasant, especially counting there was a conflict at the Night Raid HQ involving him and a so-called "Team Stylish", a band of people who had extensively modified body components thanks to, in accord to its name, Dr. Stylish. She stood up and glared at him for a split-second; afterwards, she lost it.

"I am _not_ going to allow this," she tensely worded, gritting her teeth. "If you think I'm going to let some psychopath of a doctor 'take care' of one of my friends, then you can—"

"Chelsea," I spoke, splitting the two, "hold!"

Her anger overrode her actions—she started to attempt to approach him with a front of aggression—but still I had her restrained until Leone came and pulled her back. I had to further remind her that Dr. Stylish had _changed_ and that he was no longer the eccentric and narcissistic psychopath of a doctor he once portrayed himself as. That wasn't enough, and I had figured Leone had a mutual feeling at that, because she escorted her out of the waiting room we were presently in. With that issue out of the way, I continued discussion on the autopsy with him.

"When do you think she'll make a complete recovery out of this?" I asked.

"She's quite strong," he told me preceding a short laugh. "She got me even though I had that Danger Beast serum in me a while back."

"I know that," a grin temporarily filled my vocal area before I continued, "but for how long must she stay here?"

"I do think tomorrow morning or afternoon would be a good time frame for her to depart. I'll have her wounds patched up by then."

I gave him a nod, then turned to the others who were still here.

"I will remain here and watch over your friend, Akame. You may visit her tomorrow, but for now, I want you all to further rest, as she is right now; tonight has been long for everyone, I believe, and I, too, plan on getting some shut-eye at some point."

"So where exactly are we going to stay?" Lubbock asked me.

"With Tatsumi and Mine. There's a small blacksmith's shack around the lower quarter of downtown Shisuikan, that's where Tatsumi currently resides. He and Mine are both asleep in the basement so...don't try and make such a commotion."

With separately timed nods of acknowledgement, they departed; Dr. Stylish and I remained. He gave me a normal, though serious look, as if he were saying, "Any questions?"; I shook my head, and we both shook hands on this matter.

"Thank you, doctor."

Following his leave, I stepped into the room that contained Akame, who lay with her hands at her sides and her back against the mattress. She was now dressed in a steel black hospital gown; her set of clothes, meanwhile, were in a bag on a counter that bordered the cot she was laying in. A salt water tube was attached to the area of a blood artery in her left hand, whereas one for an IV was wedged into the same area on her right hand. In the case of inhalation issues, an oxygen mask was wrapped around her mouth and nose with a tube extending to a tank hidden in a storage compartment in the back of the cot. Though her eyes were closed and her facial expression was calm, I could tell from the way the former were that she was not asleep.

"Hello, Akame," I greeted her, pulling up a chair near her cot. "I'm very certain you don't recognise me, but I'm not a foe."

"Wh...who...are you...then...?" she moaned weakly, removing her oxygen mask and slightly opening her eyes; her left one barely revealed itself.

"Gideon, former stealth recon member of Night Raid; I'm sure Najenda hadn't mentioned anything of me while you were still in the group."

"She...never did..."

Akame then tried to sit upright, but, because of her present weakness, failed to do so. I quickly got to easing her back to her original position, then started to talk to her about the past that Najenda and I shared as former Imperial Knights before we founded Night Raid. She questioned me as to why I never showed up around the base whenever everyone else was active, my reply being that I preferred to stay in the shadows for the sake of keeping Night Raid alive in the worst case if Najenda had died during the war. When asked whether or not Najenda and I had shared a mutual relationship during that time, I simply answered no, telling her after the founding of Night Raid, whatever discussion we had afterward was more or less mission-based; back then I was that kind of a person. During our little conversation, Akame's eyes started to lull, as did mine, but ever so slightly.

"Perhaps some rest would be a present requirement for both you and I," I suggested.

She smiled before reattaching her oxygen mask and slowly closing her eyelids, returning once more to a calmed look.

I returned the chair back to where it was, near the counter I spoke of earlier, then perched up against the open window of the building. I then focused my vision outside, distantly seeing the other members of Night Raid approaching the shack. Leone, I saw was the first to dart in (though I told the others to tell her not to), the rest followed; Susanoo had his hand to his face at the former. Knowing full well that their trip was safe, I turned to look over Akame to ensure her rest had no complications until, eventually, my eyelids fell shut and my head tilted a little more towards her. The darkness that contained my vision soon warped into a colorfully distorted version of Slumberland as I descended into a sleep that night.

* * *

Dawn came, and I was the first to awaken, though in a somewhat awkward position, with my neck bent forward almost the way and the rest of my body slumped over. Akame was still in a temporary dormancy, but I saw that she was now sleeping in a leftward fetal position, her back pointed towards me. Her head was bent slightly forward (oxygen mask still present, though loosely fitted); her left arm overlapped her abdominal region, whereas he right arm, though bent was spread outwards, her hand in front of where her eyes would face forward, if viewed from the ceiling; her legs were separately bent and positioned. with her toes curled. As I whispered a "Good morning", Dr. Stylish came in with a roll of bandages poking out of his vest pocket.

"You and her got a good night's sleep?" he asked.

"She did," I said, then had a slight chuckle. "Unfortunately for myself I feel like I had a hangover, and I didn't even take a pint of sake last night."

We both shared a brief laugh as Akame started to awaken with a stretch; Dr. Stylish and I noticed that she had gotten better physically, because though her cuts were still present, she could now open her eyes completely and stand up properly, though the latter did not happen without a slight stagger and the removal of any medical instruments still present on her.

"Hello, Akame," Dr. Stylish said to her.

She acknowledged his presence and gave him a curt nod, then extended her left arm for him to begin bandaging it; I found it odd that Akame was quite calm in the presence of a former enemy, even engaging in his assigned procedures as though no occurrences had taken place between them. I supposed four years away from home, away from past shadows can do some good numbers to some people more than others, Akame being in the former party. Dr. Stylish had finished bandaging any necessary areas on her arms and left leg and was just about to proceed onto her right leg when Mine and Tatsumi stepped in. And Mine, being the quick-witted and cold person she is, was the first to act.

"What the hell do you _think_ you're doing with Akame?!" she exclaimed as she started to dart over to the bespectacled medic, who turned to face her with a surprised look.

"Ease off of it, Mine," I simply told her, "Dr. Stylish is only here to tend to her. He poses no hostility towards us."

"That's funny, since he enhances his henchmen at the same time making them look God-awful!"

"That was only four years ago!" Dr. Stylish snapped at her, dropping the role of bandages in the process.

"Who's to say you won't do it aga—" Mine began.

" _ENOUGH_!" I said to them both. "Whatever happened in the Revolution will stay in the Revolution; this conflict, if it remains ongoing, must stop."

"But—"

" _Now_."

Mine said nothing further. Tatsumi quietly approached her from behind and with his left arm on her shoulder, sat her down on the same window I slept on.

"It looks like you're set from here, Akame," the doctor said. "I would however, suggest restraints from any intense activity over these next few days."

Akame nodded. His work done, Dr. Stylish fixed his glasses and hair, which he had now extended to neck-length, before he walked past me and, giving me a curt nod, spoke my name in a friendly manner preceding his exit; I returned the latter. Tatsumi helped Akame by the shoulder and took her out of the hospital room we were in, Mine and I both followed after them. (Akame was allowed to keep her gown on, although not before fitting on her undergarments, since her clothes were as they were.)

* * *

"I don't understand it!"

Chelsea smashed a clenched fist on the rectangular that sat between everyone else in the shack's dining room. This greatly contrasted her playful, mischievous front; Leone, Lubbock, Bulat and Susanoo could do so little to cease her oration, and even after Susanoo's perfectionist personality came to play when he fixed her hair ribbon, which was slightly off at its knot, she was still indignant as to what was supposedly going on.

"How is it that Gideon can calmly talk to whoever we were pitted up against in the Revolution?! I know he's helped us come back here and all but I can't get a grip on that sort of thing; why are our enemies even here if—"

"You will need a further adjustment to your attitude, if you wish to keep this up," the group heard at the doorway.

The minimal group turned to see that Tatsumi, Akame, Mine and I came back from the hospital and were all delighted to see Akame's return, much so to the point where, starting with everyone had embraced her at once; I could swear that, me being caught in the middle of it all (I didn't necessarily participate in the group hug) I was being heavily asphyxiated for a few seconds. Seconds after that scenario, Chelsea, who had teared up, was about to swat her backhand across my left cheek, to which I had grabbed her wrist and, with the strength of a bo, kept it there.

"Why did you have to bring him back?" she asked me. "Don't tell me you brought _her_ back as well."

"That was precisely what I had intended to discuss about," I told her "in which case I will need the participation of everyone here."

"How about we do it over lunch?" Akame asked.

"Excellent suggestion, perhaps I'll find something in the wild."

"I'll come along!" Leone proclaimed, raising her hand.

I nodded.

"Very well."

* * *

By the time we reappeared with a danger beast that looked somewhat like an overgrown chicken (I honestly have no idea why it is referred to as such), a wooden round table had been set up in the main hall and everyone was seated and chatting about; Akame, having fully recovered upon our return (although she still wore her bandages where they were), assisted in cooking it up alongside a smiling Susanoo, who seemed content, at the least, for being of purpose once again. What they served on our plates was an multitude of chopped meat with rice, dried onion flakes, cabbage and oyster sauce, served with a pint's capacity of filtered spring water. Everyone was delighted for this, as the former group was one of Akame's well-acclaimed dishes when Night Raid was still a full group; I, myself, found this quite appetising, to say the least.

Speaking of delight, we did share some pleasant stories followed by a few good laughs; Chelsea, at some point, got to have a poke at Mine for her "flat chest"—I felt like I was either hallucinating or I witnessed some flames rising from the latter's twin-tailed hair at that time—while Tatsumi found himself in a brief onset of complications, having been wedged between Leone's breasts one minute and being hit by one of Bulat's homosexual charms the next.

Then there was the unsettling tranquility that followed, overlapped by the constant chirps of the crickets and the songs of the frogs.

"So Gideon..." Chelsea started, "...why are we here?"

Everyone else nodded in unanimous agreement with that question, then turned towards me; an answer was to be demanded from them.

"I had wanted to have spoken of this, but under a shorter term, I wish to give you all a second chance at being in this world."

"But why?" Tatsumi said, sitting more upright.

Mine leaned inward and let her hotheaded personality manifest itself.

"Why are our _enemies_ here as well?! Do you expect us to live a normal life if the Jägers are probably plotting something to potentially get us to kick the bucket?!"

I finished my plate in the midst of the interrogation and replied calmly, although I was subtlely pissed at what was mentioned.

"I understand your indignation, everyone. But be as it may seem to you all, they no longer pose a threat to us, to _anyone_ , anymore. This generation is far different than the previous one we have all been put through, that much I know of, and as far as I've been concerned on this, so are they; under no circumstances should any feelings of hostility arouse between both of our parties concerning those previous encounters you may have had that would stem from them any more. Rather, they wish to set their previous roles aside and move on in their lives as normal individuals among the many. As would all of you."

A commotion aroused between everyone for what I just spoke, although it lasted only for so long before Akame broke it up with a smile, a slight blush and a simple, two-worded sentence.

"I see."

Mine could only spit out some of her drink onto their platter at this. Much of what she could process was to a somewhat negative factor, for what I've seen in her facial expression.

"You mean...?!"

"I suppose our mysterious acquaintance here has done good for both sides," Akame said. "I'm glad for that."

Tatsumi, having a thought of that, turned to her.

"You mean...you think Kurome's alive as well?"

"Yes." Akame closed her eyes in hopefulness.

"Then I can safely assume you wish to reconcile with your sister," I concluded, "is this correct?"

She turned to me and nodded, although I saw her motion was somewhat hesitant.

"I suppose that earlier arrangement I had with the former general preceding the brief embarcation wasn't a mistake after all."

The complexions of almost everyone, the exceptions being Akame and Susanoo, all turned a deathly white at that.

"You mean..." Lubbock assumed, "...you talked to...?"

"Correct," I admitted.

Right now, I started to doubt my own presence among these people. This discussion, though realistic, was, for what I've known, a severely straining topic among this youth. While Akame seemed acknowledgeable on this matter (Susanoo, I was unsure of because of his partly blank countenance throughout this feast), everyone else took it like a clenched fist to the face.

I had hoped for a more optimistic and resolute expression from the members of Night Raid after what they've been told. This was a clearly contrasting outcome.

* * *

 _"He who fights with monsters should be careful lest he thereby become a monster. And if thou gaze long into an abyss, the abyss will also gaze into thee."_

 _-Nietzsche_


End file.
